Up, Up, and AWAY!

This is how I spent my Sunday!  In my super-hot purple fleece jammies and big furry slippers...  There was a certain 2 yr old nephew who has been using his sister's tu-tu as a batman cape.  Don't ask me how...  So I fixed that problem and made superhero capes for the whole family.

No - they don't have six kids.  These babies are REVERSIBLE!  Boo-yah.

Buh-Bye Ugly Bulbs

A few years ago I decided that we needed more light in our kitchen/dining area over the table.  But I didn't want to have to pay an electrician to hardwire a new light fixture.  So I bought a vanity fixture and rewired it myself to plug into an outlet.  (Don't worry, it works fine. I asked for lots of advice before I spliced anything.)  Then along came those CFL lightbulbs.  Now, don't get me wrong....  I'm all for using them and saving energy, but they are U-G-L-Y (they ain't got no alibi...).  Just look at how they were hanging out of my light fixture:  (yeah, I know - also quite crooked)

Not to mention that it has always kind of looked like it belongs in a bathroom (hmmmm, wonder why...).  So I decided that it was high time that I fixed this look.  After bringing home (and then subsequently bringing back) several new glass shade things, I had an epiphany in the lighting department of Lowes.  Pendant shades!  They are longer than the ones meant for these fixtures and therefore cover up the ugly bulbs!  Woot-woot!

I tried to take a picture with the lights on, but it really wasn't coming out so great.  Too bad, because they look prettier with the light shining through the silver.  But don't they look better?  And less like a bathroom?

Next in line to go:  ugly tan valence.  Stay tuned...

Chair Update

Almost done!  Just waiting on the back and sides which need the 'curve ease' tacking strip.  Which, if I might add, is just a finger impaling death trap.  But whatever... still need it.  Going to have to order this lovely item from ebay and so the last bit of reupholstering must wait.  Alas.  But here is the latest up date.  Let me remind you of what she looked like before...

And now...

My New Boyfriend

I realized that I haven't yet dedicated a post to the new love in my life.  His name is Kreg and he is awesome.  I have wanted this for a long time.  I have heard all of the reviews and I knew that I needed him.  So (with a little behind-the-scenes hinting from the hubby), he was the Christmas present that I received from my brother.  I first used him in making the loft beds for the boys and I will tell you, it is a bit like having a DVR.  I have no idea how I lived without this for so long.  KREG - where have you been my whole life??  Ok, I'm done now.  Just had to share my love.

Wingback Chair: Modern Edition

My brother and his fiance have been looking for a cool wingback chair for their furniture-impaired living room.  A few months ago my friend Lindsey who was in the process of moving said to me, "hey, I know you like to fix up a good chair and I have this wingback chair that I don't want to take with me"....

The rest is history.  You know I followed her to her house that day and jammed that wingback chair into my trunk with the two kids in the back seat.  (Thanks Lindsey!)  Then it sat in my garage for a few weeks.  Until the day that I saw that clearance upholstery fabric was an additional 50% off at Joann's.  So I dragged my brother with me and we picked out fabric.

Now, I have upholstered things before, but nothing of this difficulty rating.  This is going to be a long process, for sure.  What I have learned so far is that reupholstering is like sewing and reverse engineering all in one.  Right up my alley.  I have also learned that there is an item called 'curve ease' and that I need it.

So I am doing this in very small pieces.  Take a piece off, replicate, put it back on.  So far so good.  But I have a long way to go.  Stay tuned!

1977 called...

There is this print that has been calling me from the shelf of Joann's for months.  But it is definitely calling from 1977.   Like my brother and I would have had little matching outfits made out of it back in the day.  So....  what to do with this fabric???  Hmmmmm....   how about making some little matching outfits for the next generation of siblings that are forced to wear homemade clothing??!!  Perfect idea, if I do say so myself!  :)

(Yes, yes, my 4 yr old has painted toenails.  At least they're black, right?)

Also - the background of the top picture gives a little hint of my next project (started last night...)!  Can you guess?

Lima Bean What?

I'm not really one for over the top holiday-decorating.  Except that this year I felt like something was missing from my Christmas-y decor.  But I don't really love the whole red and green thing and I don't like clutter.

I stumbled upon a tutorial for a diy lima bean wreath and I thought it was really cool.  Problem was, when I went to Hannaford to get them, they didn't have any in the dry variety.  So I bought navy beans.  Which are like 1/2 the size of lima beans.  Causing the already time-intensive hot-gluing project to double (of course).  Hellllooooo.... didn't think of that in the store.  Oh well.  After three days of gluing beans to my muslin covered hay wreath (don't ask), I finally finished it.  I chose to leave it natural for now so the color varies from white to tan and I like it that way.  But up against my tan wall, it kinda washes out.  So I think that I might spray paint it white (like the tutorial writer did).  Then I can just change the ribbon color for the next holiday.  :)  Next up, pink.

Who doesn't love a good fort?

Several weeks before Christmas, I found myself in a super-cool toy store looking for ideas.  And then I saw the mother of all ideas.  They were selling a fort kit!  A FORT-KIT!  Having two boys means that there have been  perpetual forts being built around my house (and my mother's) for years.  The store version of the fort kit was something in the line of $45.  For a fort??!?  So I did what any good crafty girl would do.  I copied it. For MUCH less than upwards of forty bucks.

Twin sheets with ties sewed all down the sides and middle.  Some rope in case you need to hang the center and create a teepee effect.  And some super-awesome clamps for, well...., clamping stuff.  Which, by the way, have proven to be the most fun part of the whole thing.  Sewed some initials on each one for clarity.  Packed it all into some handcrafted tote bags and voila!  HOURS of entertainment for little (and big?) boys and girls.  (Made one for my niece too.  Although she might be slightly too young, as seen by the rope = lasso incident.)

My mother thinks that I should sell these puppies.  Any takers??  :)